The invention relates to a rotary actuator, in particular for a motor vehicle, having an actuating element which can rotate about an axis and a position sensor which detects the position of the actuating element in the circumferential direction.
Such rotary actuators are used in motor vehicles and serve to control different functions which are displayed on a display. As a result, different systems such as, for example a navigation system, an integrated telephone, an infotainment system and the like can be actuated in the motor vehicle and individual functions within these systems can be controlled or selected. Rotary actuators are also known which can be additionally actuated axially in order to select a functions selected and marked by rotating the rotary actuator in a menu, by pressing. Such rotary actuators which have an axial switching function are referred to as turn and push actuators.
Rotary actuators usually have a control face which is profiled in a corrugated shape or sawtooth shape and an assigned latching element. When the rotary actuator rotates, the corrugated or saw-tooth-shaped control or face which interacts with the latching element is rotated. The latching element can be embodied as a leaf spring which has one or two latching projections which run over the profiled control face, as a result of which a clicking noise is generated in which case.
Since conventional rotary actuators latch in immediately in the released state after manual actuation, they are felt to be “static” by many users, and in addition, it is felt to be disadvantageous that in order to operate the rotary actuator it is necessary to use the entire hand, which has to engage around the rotary actuator completely. The force which has to be applied to this is also felt to be comparatively large by many users.